An elderly man wearing a face mask and gloves to protect against the coronavirus rides a subway car in Moscow, Russia, Sept 12, 2021. (ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO / AP)
MOSCOW / LONDON / DAR ES SALAAM – Russia reported 34,303 cases of new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, a record-high number since the start of the pandemic, data from the state coronavirus task force showed on Sunday.
It also reported 997 deaths from the disease, five fewer than the daily record-high of 1,002 reported the previous day.
Russian authorities blame a slow vaccination campaign for the sharp rise of infections and deaths, which forced the health ministry to ask retired, vaccinated medics to return to hospitals
The latest coronavirus deaths brought the official national death toll to 223,312, with a total of almost 8 million cases.
Russian authorities blame a slow vaccination campaign for the sharp rise of infections and deaths, which forced the health ministry to ask retired, vaccinated medics to return to hospitals.
Ireland
Ireland reported the most new cases since January, as the government weighs whether to remove most remaining restrictions.
There were 2,180 new cases reported on Saturday, the health ministry said in a statement posted to Twitter. The surge in case numbers comes even with almost 92 percent of adults fully vaccinated.
Still, hospitalizations are at about a quarter of what they were in January.
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“The link between cases and harm has been severely weakened, not completely broken,” Colm Henry, a senior official with Ireland’s health service told RTE Radio. The government will decide on Oct 19 whether to drop most remaining restrictions.
Italy
The contentious issue of Italy’s Green Pass, the strictest national vaccine mandate in Europe, helped spur some 200,000 demonstrators to the streets of Rome on Saturday.
The protest, organized by the main Italian unions, was a counter-protest to a large demonstration last week, in which far-right protesters occupied the Rome headquarters of the union Ggil in opposition to the Green Pass.
On Friday, Italy made it mandatory for all workers to present a digital code upon entering the workplace or face a fine.
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The Green Pass can be obtained after vaccination or after testing negative for the virus, and employers will be responsible for checking certificates. Protests have erupted in cities around Italy against the pass.
Russia reported 34,303 cases of new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, a record-high number since the start of the pandemic, data from the state coronavirus task force showed on Sunday.
It also reported 997 deaths from the disease, five fewer than the daily record-high of 1,002 reported the previous day.
The latest coronavirus deaths brought the official national death toll to 223,312, with a total of almost 8 million cases.
Russian authorities blame a slow vaccination campaign for the sharp rise of infections and deaths, which forced the health ministry to ask retired, vaccinated medics to return to hospitals.
Sudan
Sudan has been witnessed an increasing number of COVID-19 infections and deaths since early October, igniting concerns over a new wave of the pandemic in the country.
Sudan on Friday reported 78 new COVID-19 infections, with active cases amounting to 490, Sudan's Health Ministry said on Saturday, warning that "all these cases indicate emergence of a new wave of COVID-19 in the country."
It urged the citizens to follow the health protocol such as wearing facemasks, abiding by social distancing and hand sanitizing.
The ministry stressed that vaccination is the most effective way for people to get out of the current crisis
Last week, Sudan received about half a million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to join three other COVID-19 vaccines, including Sinopharm, AstraZeneca, and Johnson.
The Sudanese health authorities are planning to vaccinate around 20 percent of its population, or 8 million people, by the end of 2021 and vaccinate 40 percent of the population by the end of 2022.
Sudan has recorded 39,550 COVID-19 cases, including 3,038 deaths.
Tanzania
Tanzanian government said on Saturday that it has allocated 5.1 billion Tanzanian shillings (about $2.2 million) for research aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan said the funds were part of the $567.25 million approved in September by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The IMF approved the funds in emergency financial assistance to Tanzania under the Rapid Credit Facility and Rapid Financing Instrument to support the authorities' efforts in responding to the pandemic by addressing the urgent health, humanitarian, and economic costs.
"Research is a major pillar in the global fight against the virus and other diseases," said Hassan at the commemoration of the 50 Anniversary of the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Moshi.
She said the government will continue supporting universities, research institutions and medical services providers that are conducting research on COVID-19 and other diseases.
The Tanzanian president urged health experts and researchers to continue with their research in order to discover the best approach to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this Aug 7, 2021 photo, a dose of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is prepared at a mobile vaccination clinic at the Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA in Los Angeles, California. (Patrick T FALLON / AFP)
US
Another 43,423 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19 as the country recorded more than 40,000 COVID cases on the fourth consecutive day, according to official figures released Saturday.
It brought the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 8,404,469.
The US surpassed 10 million booster shots, with more doses now going daily to people who are fully vaccinated than those getting a shot for the first time, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Among the 876,000 doses reported on Saturday, 392,000 were boosters or additional doses and 245,000 were first shots, according to a tweet from Cyrus Shahpar, the White House’s COVID-19 data director. More than 407 million doses have been administered in the US, and 77 percent of those eligible are fully vaccinated.
ALSO READ: US virus deaths top 1918 flu estimates
Extra doses of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccine began to be given officially on Aug. 13 to vulnerable groups, including those older than 65. This week, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel approved boosters from Moderna Inc and Johnson & Johnson.
